WiFi PDA Meets Linux--Part 2 - page 3

iPAQ/CUPS Printing

Here's a summary of the steps needed to print from an iPAQ to a your Linux/CUPS server.

1. Establish connectivity between the iPAQ and Linux/CUPS server.
2. Load Activesync on a Windows machine, to facilitate software downloading to the iPAQ.
3. Download the HP Mobile Printing Full Version to the iPAQ.
4. Tweak the Linux/CUPS configuration, if desired.
5. Configure the iPAQ to print to the CUPS server.
6. Download a Pocket Word and Excel documents to the iPAQ.
7. Print the Pocket Word, Excel or Web pages from the iPAQ.

Now that we have our list of what needs to be done to print from the iPAQ, lets take each step one by one.

Establish Connectivity

This one should be an easy. The best way is to make sure you can connect to the Samba directory that we configured in Part 1. An alternative is to see if you can browse a Web site using the iPAQ's Internet Explorer.

Load Activesync

I never did find the Activesync program on the HP iPAQ companion CD, so I just downloaded it (it was the latest version anyway) from the Microsoft Activesync page. I successfully installed it on both my old 133 Mhz Windows 98 box, as well as my new HP 5460 laptop. The program should start up as soon as you plug in the USB cable and put the iPAQ in the cradle. Select the single computer partnership. Answer the simple questions in the partnership steps and then click finish. You can then run a sync on the iPAQ, to make sure Activesycn is working properly.

Download HP Mobile Printing

Download the full HP Mobile Printing for Pocket PC version of the program to your Windows machine .

With the iPAQ plugged into the cradle, run the HP Mobile Printing installation program. The program will install and download the appropriate files to the iPAQ over the USB connection. Follow the instructions and you should be fine.